Finland’s National Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change 2005.

The Finnish Government submitted a Government Report on the National Climate Strategy to the Parliament in March 2001. In early 2003 the Ministry of Trade and Industry together with other ministries prepared a progress report for the Parliament on the implementation of the National Climate Strategy. The strategy describes the impacts of climate change in the following sectors: agriculture and food production, forestry, fisheries, reindeer husbandry, game management, water resources, biodiversity, industry, energy, traffic, land use and communities, building, health, tourism and recreation, and insurance. The strategy describes the present sensitivity to climate change and outlines actions and measures to improve the capacity and to adapt to future climate change. The strategy aims at reducing the negative consequences and taking advantage of the opportunities associated with climate change. The Adaptation Strategy includes a proposal on starting a research programme.
The objective of the National Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change is to strengthen and increase Finland’s adaptive capacity. This is to be achieved by: Describing climate change and its impacts, as well as assessing the sensitivity of sectors. Assessing current adaptive capacity, vulnerability and opportunities associated with climate change; and Presenting actions that should be taken immediately (such as research and development) and policies for future actions. The third assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 2001) states that most of the global warming that has taken place within the last 50 years is due to human activities. Increased concentrations of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide, result in global warming. Natural factors (solar radiation and volcanic activity), and human-originated aerosols (airborne fine particles) have also influenced the transfer of solar radiation and thermal radiation in the atmosphere, but their effect alone is not enough to account for the observed changes in temperature. The change of atmospheric composition will continue during the 21st century, accelerating the global climate change which is already well under way.
The National Adaptation Strategy for climate change describes the scenarios of climate change, socio-economic development and natural systems. The impacts of climate change and adaptation to it have been assessed on the basis of existing in-formation up until the year 2080. The estimates still include uncertainties. Some of the definitions of policies that have been presented in the strategy are still preliminary or they will be scheduled over a long time period. The most immediate measures, such as research, communications, revision of preparation and risk assessment systems, preparation for extreme weather events and the inclusion of adaptation aspects in sector-specific planning and international cooperation are “win-win” measures. These have positive impacts on the development of sectors and on sustainable development.
Chapter 3.1 describes the global impacts of climate change. The adaptation capacity varies considerably between different countries. It has been estimated that the greatest challenges of adaptation will be faced in developing countries. In several of the least developed countries, the climate is already a burden to food production. In areas which suffer from drought, the situation may become even worse and may lead to the migration of the population to new locations. It would be extremely difficult to find better living conditions and work for untrained and poor people, which would further intensify poverty.